The Sun. — London, England, 1864-08-24 00:00:00

Lord Pub' nerston at Tiverton. TIVERTON, Tuesday. It is now sou le years since Lord Palmerston visited his cons titnents, having been obliged on several occasion! during that period to disappoint them, after all a rrangements had been made, owing either to the ex igencies of public business or tem porary illness. A short time ago Lord Palmerston intimated that he would pay his long deferred visit on the occasion. of Tiverton races, and the mayor and corporatioa determined to invite him to a pub lic banquet tb.a previous evening. The Premier, who looked remarkably well, and was in excellent spirits, arrived by the 2 o'clock train from London. At Tiverton Sanction he was heartily welcomed by the mayor and a considerable number of the chief inhabitants of the borough ; but when the train arrived at Tiverton the station and its approaches were densely crowded, and his lordship, having en tered his carriage, was escorted amid enthusiastic cheers, to his hotel, the Three Tans. Lord Palmer ston on presenting himself at the window of the l:otel was received with loud cheering. 1% hen ai lence was restored his lordship said—Ladies and ge,atlemen, young and old, my good friends all—l thank you most heartily for the kind reception I have. just met with from you. lam accustomed to be warmly received in this town of Tiverton, but I must fairly own that I never met with a more gene ral and cordial reception than that which has awaited me to-day. (Cheers.) am always glad t o come t o this town and this beautiful ndighbourhood when. ever I am able to do so. I regrett e d very muc h on a late occasion I was tied by th e l eg , una bl e t o leave, and 1 think that a man who is tied by the leg and foot to London cannot hope to make his way to Ti ve rton. (Laughter and cheering.) I am glad, however, to meet so many of you to-day, and trust that during the two days that I wean to pass here I shall have an op /30 rtUnitY of seeing all those good friends to whom I am so much indebted. (Cheers.) If lam to augur of the future increase and prosperity of Tiver ton, from what I now see before me I must say that the great numbers and good looks of the rising generation augur well and fairly for the increasing prosperity of Tivertcn. (Cheers and laughter.) It s a proof that the people have good employment, tod the appearance of the younger part of them shows that due care is taken of their education and manners, and that the good and healthy air of this town has its due effect upon the constitution and looks of the young. (Cheers.) We all know that those who are past their childhood—especially those of the fair sex—retain their good looks to a later period of life than is often their lot in other parts of the world. (Laughter and cheers.) I can only ropeat that it has given me the greatest pleasure to be so well received, and that from the bottom o f my heart I thank you for the kind demonstration which you have made. I am glad I have the pleasure of meeting you in such magnificent weather. It has sometimes occurred when I have been here that there has been a little dewy fall from the skies. You are I believe panting for rain, but I trust it will not come down for the next two or three days, so as to injure the attendance at your races. (Laughter and cheers.) Three cheers were then given for the ladies, three for the Mayor, and three for Mr. Hole, and Lord Palmerston then retired. THE BANQUET. The banquet took place at fire o'clock, under the presidency of Mr. W. N. Row, the Mayor, who had upon his right Lard Palmtreton, Mr. J. Chichester Nagle, and Mr. J. Worth, and on his left Mr. J. Silatent, Mr. F. Hole, the Rev. J. F. Sydenham, and Mr. Cartwright. About 150 sat down to din ner. The usual loyal and constitutional toasts were given from the chair. The Rev. J. F. SYDENHAM, in responding to the toast of the "bishop of the Diocess and the Clergy of all Denominations," thanked Lord Palmerston for the excellent manner in which he had filled up the unprecedented number of ecclesiesrical offices which had recently fallen to his nomination. Against those appointments a very few only of extreme views had only ventured to feebly remonstrate. Captain LANE returned thanks for the " Army, Navy, Militia, and Volunteers." The CHAIRMAN then proposed the toast of the evening—" Lord Viscount Palmerston," and in terse but forcible terms observed that as a member he was an honour to the borough, but as a states man and a Minister, not only to the borough, but also to the whole country. Lord PALMEROTON, who was received with seve ral rounds of most tremendous cheering, said—Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen—l beg to return to you my most sincere thanks for the kind manner in which this toast has been proposed and received, and I can assure you that a testimonial of goodwill from the people of Tiverton must always be most grateful to me, (Cheers.) I feel under most peculiar obligations to the people of this town. I came here first a stranger—an entire stranger—to you, and if, as you did, you accepted me as your member, it could only be from your thinking that my conduct in public life had been such as to deserve your ap probation. (Hear.) From time to time it has been a source of great pride and gratification to me to find on every occasion of my revisiting this town that the cordiality of my reception may be accepted as a proof that the good opinion which originally led to your taking me as your member has not been diminished, but increased. (Cheers.) I can assure you that I feel a most hearty pride at being, and, I trust, continuing to be, your member. (Cheers.) The rev, gentleman who returned thanks for the clergy did me the honour to allude to matters which are the personal acts of the Minister who fills the office that I do—l mean the choice of the persons who are to fill the high dignities of the Church. Well, I am glad that the selections which I have thought it to be my duty to make have met with general approval. I hold the task of making those selections to be one of the moat important duties that can devolve upon the person who holds the office which I have the honour to fill, because there are many things which depend upon a good choice—these are, in the first place, the moral and religious training of the country—of those who are members of the Church of which these persons are chosen to be high digna taries ; but there is a further bearing oa a good selec tion in these cases, because in a free country like this, where every man is entitled to hold his own opinions, where men are accustomed to investigate the grounds of the opinions which they entertain or which they may intend to adopt, there must neces sarily be great differences on religious subjects. No doubt we might all wish that the whole nation could be of one creed. That is impossible in a free country; but what can be done, and what ought to be done, is that those who hold high office and those who are at the head of the Established Church should by their bearing towards those who differ from them in religious opinions mitigate those acerbities which are, perhaps, inherent in the diver sities of opinion on so important a matter, both here and hereafter ; that they should, by their manner and bearing towards those of different opinions, render those differences as little perceptible as pos sible, and endeavour to inculcate that charity which is the basis of onr common religion. 1 trust and believe that the choice which it has been my lot to make has been made in this direction, and that those who have been elevated to fill high Positions in the Established Church will by their bearing towards different communions continue to prove that, although eac h may be sincere in holding opinions at variance one with another, will, nevertheless, feelall th at there are common feelings, com mou i nterests, and common obligations which pervade the muss and that those feelings, interests, and obligations ought not to be embit toad by any aspe r i t i es between different sects. (Cheers.) We have most unhappily seen very recently proofs thE..t in t h e sister kingdom those differences of religion have led to most disastrous and lamentable outbreaks; biat not s te o t p u in s iori ; atshcreiyb are r i e t entirely to differeoce. of ref]go u rather connected with long-estehlietied feuds, and should be looked upon rather as political demon strations than as uncharitablereeengs i n regard to the religions of the two parties who come in con tact. (Hear, hear,) Notice was also taken of the circumstance that it has fallen to the lot of the Go vernment of which I ant a Lt..?lnber to preserve to this country the blessings of peace. NOW, gentle men, no doubt the preservation of peace, with honour, with consistency, with the interests and dignity of the country, with its interest at hcme and its dignity and reputation abroad, the preservation of peace upon such conditions is the primary duty of any administration that may be charged with the conduct of national affairs. (Hear.) I do not think it desirable that we should be of that section, which I believe really does not now exist, although it is a byeword sometimes used, I do not think it desirable Peace-atsany-price party. that we should be of the I do not believe that those who are commonly de signated,by that name are at heart insensible to the honour and interest of the country. (Cheers.) There may be differences of opinion as to the meg. nitude of the case, as to the validity of the reasons which may induce the country to draw the sword ; but I am persuaded that there is no Englishman who would hot, if he thought the interests and honour and dignity of the country were at stake, join in its defence by whatever means, personal or otherwise, which he might be able to command. (Cheers.) There have been, indeed, of late years during the five years which I have been in office several cases which might have led this country into war. We might have embarked in war, and with great acquiescence in popular feeling, for the rescue of the Poles. Well, we deplore their unhappy fate ; we endeavoured to enlist in their cause the moral and political action of all the different Powers of Europe, and we did so; but they unfortunately failed, and perhaps it was in the nature of things that our efforts should not succeed. But however the enthusiasm of a large portion of the community might have urged us to take more active measures, we did not think—and I believe the majority of the country is of opinion that we thought right— we did not think that was an occasion on which it would be justifiable to call on the people of England to make those exertions and sacrifices which such a war would have called for. Then there was the American civil war. There is much diversity of opinion as to the merits of the contending parties. Some are for the North on the ground of their hatred of slavery ; some are for the South on the ground of their love of freedom and independence. We might have been involved one way or the other if we had listened to many of those who urged different courses of action, we might have been involved in the quarrel ; but I believe the country is glad we have abstained from taking that course. (Cheers.) We could have had nothing to gain, and we should only have added thousands of our own sons to the hetacomb of victims which that calamitous and bloody slaughtering war has sacri ficed. (Cheers.) We may hope that time and re flection and recent advices from America show some favourable symptoms—we may hope that time and reflection, and the fact of the immenses losses which have been sustained, and the slight hopes of success which appear on the part of the North—we may hope that many months will not elapse before some progress will be made towards healing that tremen dous breach which now exists. (Cheers.) But of this I am convinced, that if we had yielded to those who, from the purest motives and from a sincere conviction, urged us to interfere to offer our media tion to endeavour to reconcile the quarrel between the parties before matters were ripe for our adjust ment, we should not only have failed in accom plishing that object, but we should have embittered the feelings between that country and this, and have rendered the future establishment of good relations between us and them less easy and more difficult. (Hear.) Therefore I think our neutrality was wis-, and I am sure that it is appreciated by the country at large. (Cheers.) Well, then came that unfortunate Danish question, and I am sure every Englishman who has a heart in his breast and a teeling of justice in his mind, sympathises with those unfortunate Danes—(cheers)—and wishes that this country could have been able to draw the sword successfully in their defence—(continued cheers) — but I am satisfied that those who reflect on the season of the year when that war broke out, on the means which thi country could have applied for deciding in one sense that issue, I am satisfied that those who make these reflections will think that we acted wisely in not embarking in that dispute. (Cheers.) To have sent a fleet in midwinter to the Baltic every sailor would tell you was an impossibility, but if it could have gone it would have been attended by no effectual result: Ships sailing on the sea cannot stop armies on land, and to have attempted to stop the progress of an army by sending a fleet to the Baltic would have been attempting to do that which it was not possible to accomplish. (Hear, hear.) If England could have sent an army, and although we all know how admirable that army is on the peace establishment, we must acknowledge that we have no means of sending out a force at all equal to cope with the 300,000 or 400,000 men whom the 30,000,000 or the 40,000,000 of Germany could have pitted against us, and that such an attempt would only have insured a disgraceful discomfiture—not to the army, indeed, but to the Government which sent out an inferior force and expected it to cope success- fully with a force so vastly superior. (Cheers.) We are, as a nation, I trust, sufficiently strong to defy attack from any enemy. We have, in round num bers, 300,000 militia and volunteers, in addition to the regular army, and, as they can be immediately increased, we have force amply sufficient to defy attack from whatever quarter it may proceed. (Cheers.) We have a fleet growing every year, adapting itself to the modern requirements of naval warfare, and fully adequate for the defence of the country. Our object is defence—not aggression. (Cheers.) Bat this state of things does not allow this country to undertake vast operations beyond its confines; calling on the nation to make great exer tions, to make great sacrifices, both of men and money, in order to send out an army fit to cope with the vast establishments maintained byothercountries. (Cheers.) Well, we did not think that the Danish cause would be considered as sufficiently British, and as sufficiently bearing on the interests and the security and the honour of England, as to make it justifiable to ask the country to make those exer tions which such a war would render necessary ; and I am sure that the verdict of the country will be that, in this respect, the Government judged rightly. (Cheers.) But, while we have preserved peace, the nation has been doing its work too. It is the duty of the Government to keep the country at peace as long as it can do so without sacrificing its honour, its dignity, or its interests. It is the duty of the people of the country to prosper its trade, to extend its commerce, to increase its re sources, and to promote its welfare of every sort and kind. This duty has been nobly performed by the people of this kingdom ; and there never ' P I was a period of equal length during which this country has made such enormous strides in wealth, and in everything woicla constitutes the comfort, the happiness, and the welfare of the nation. (Cheers.) The Government can only contribute to these results by removing obstacles and affording facilities, but it remains for the people themselves to make those exertions by which alone these results can be obtained. (Cheers.) Government cannot interfere with private enterprise. Every now and then we are called upon to subsidise or assist this or that enterprise; we are told that a little contri bution from the public revenue would set up this manufacture, would assist another, would give scope to industry, and would foster a rising commerce; but these things are only done in countries where the people are paralysed by despotic power, and where they require the vivifying and electrical touch of the Government to rouse them to an exer tion which is not their natural condition, nor their habitual practice. (Cheers.) In this country every man is alive, every man knows best how to employ his capital, how to direct his genius, whatever it may be; whatever line you may take, whether it be active exertion iu distant parts, or the studious labour of invention at home, or the direction of the industry of thousands of our manufacturing work men, in this country every roan knows best how to contribute to the public wealth and to his own prosperity and advantene, and all that the Go vernment has to do is to leave things alone, to throw down barriers and obstructions, where barriers and obstructions aro pressed, and to give that freedom to industry and activity to commerce by which alone the general welfare of ti . .e conntry can be advanced. (Cheers.) That has been oar task, a n d I think we have 1121'- 1 formed that task well and successfully, and if any.. body will take the trouble to look back, which few men are disposed to do, because they are too busy looking forward (" hear,'' and cheers); if any man will look back and glance at the immense progress which has taken place in this country during the last thirty years, he will be astonished at the mag nitude of the improvements which have been made, the magnitude of the obstructions which have been thrown down, the magnitude of the new doors to industry which have been opened, and the pro• gress which the country has made in national wealth and the comfort and happiness of the people. (Cheers.) I need not, indeed, preach these doc trines in this town, because they have not only been understood, but successfully practised. It is not in Tiverton, where a most thriving and durable manufacture has been so long established, that I need debate on the advantage which genius, industry, enterprise, capital properly applied and adapted, with skill produce not only to the indivi dual who directs the machine, but to the whole community who are in any way connected with such a system. (Cheers.) The noble lord, after passing a ;high eulogium on his lamented coileague, Mr Heathcote, concluded by thanking the guests around, him for the manner in which he had been re ceived among his kind friends in Tiverton, saying that these periodical visits were always marked with a red letter in his diary. The noble lord resumed his seat amid loud and prolonged cheering, and the party soon afterwards separated. The Great English and French Railways. THE GREAT WESTERN. We come next to this great and powerful under. taking, which, however, as regards a large portion of its shareholders—that is, the holders of ordinary stock—has long, however, produced only compara tively indifferent results. A definitive amalgamation was effected last year between the Great Western, the South Wales, and the West Midland; but for the purposes of this article we must assume that they were united under one administration in 1862 and 1861. The Great Western, which, like its old rival, the London and North Western, was originally a comparatively modest affair—merely aiming at placing London and Bristol in communication with each other—has thus acquired colossal dimensions of late. Instead of confining itself to Bristol, it has stretched far away to Milford Haven, Birkenhead, and Weymouth ; and at the close of January, 1864, the following concerns were comprised in its not very prosperous, but still highly important enter prise :—The Abingdon, the Berks and Hants Ex tension, a moiety of the Birkenhead, the Bourton on•the-Water, the Bristol and South Wales Union, the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk, and Pontypool, the East Somerset, the Ely Valley, the Leominster and Kington, the Milford (from Sept. 7, 1863, to Jan. 31, 1864), the Much Wenlock and Severn Junction, the Severn Valley, the Shrewsbury and Birming ham, the Shrewsbury and Chester, a moiety of the Shrewsbury and Hereford, the Stourbridge, the Stratford-upon-Avon, a moiety of the Tenbury, the Tewkesbury and Malvern, the Vale of Llangollen (from Aug. 31, 1863, to Jan. 31, 1864), the Welling ton and Severn Junction, part of the West London Extension (from April 1, 1863, to Jan. 31, 1864), the Watley and Wycombe, the Calne (from Nov. 3, 1863), and the Nantwieh and Market Drayton (from Oct. 20, 1863). The length of way worked—assum ing for the purposes of comparison that the West Midland and south Wales were amalgamated with the Great Western in 1861 and 1862—was conse quently as follows :--Miles ie operation, Dec. 31, 1861, 989 (724 k double and 265 single); Dec. 31, 1862, 1,148 (748 double and 400 single) ; and Jan. 31, 1864, 1,199 (783 double and 416 single). In 25 months the general undertaking thus expanded to the extent of 2091 miles. The traffic acquired, the working expenses iccurred, and the profits realised upon this mileage in 1861, 1862, and 1863.4 (that is 1863, and Jan., 1864) were as follows Year. Revenue. Expenses. Profits. 1861 .... £2,887,020 .. £1,422,249 .. £1,461,771 1562 3,097,241 .. 1,554,002 .. 1,543,239 1863-4 .. 3,465,658 .. 1,667,679 .. 1,791,661 Although the result here disclosed is satisfactory, still some confusion is created by the last year's figures being for 13 months, the company having decided oe making up its accounts to July 31 and January 31 in each year, in order to equalise to a greater extent the dividends of the two half-years. If we deduct one-thirteenth part from the total set down as the revenue for 1863 4, we arrive at a sum of £3,199,069 as the approximate receipts of 1863. Applying the same test to the working charges, the total would be reduced to £1,529,396, and the profits for the year would be 11,659,673, The in crease in the revenue, comparing 1863 with 1861, would thus be £312,049, acquired with an increase of £117,147 in the working charges. While, then, the proportion of working charges to rough re ceipts was 49.25 per cent. in 1861, it appears to have been reduced to 48 11 per cent. in 1863. There has thus been an improvement effected in this regard of at least 1 per cent.—a very important matter when we are dealing with a rough total of £3,000,000 ; there still, however, seems to be some room for the realisation of some further economy. From circumstances, perhaps, beyond the control of the directors, the finance of the Great Western has been administered on principles differing radi cally from those cf the London and North-Western. Thus, while the latter has a comparatively small amount of preference stock, in the Great Western the preferential charges have in some years, although the company is now recovering itself to some extent, almost entirely swamped the unfortunate proprietors of ordinary stock, Thus, of the 139,719,140 raised by the three com panies—Great Western, South Wales, and West Midland—to December 31, 1861, only £13,164,575 was ordinary stoch—and 25 months later—that is January 31, 1864—0 f the £40,666,111 raised, only 113,318,244 was ordinary stock. It is to be hoped that as years roll on this stock will find itself in a better position than it does at present, as for the year ending January 31, 1864, the dividends paid paid upon it were at the following meagre rates : Upon £540,944, 0.75 per cent. ; £1,400,500, 1.08 per cent.; upon £23,899, 2.12 per cent ; upon £8,175,199, 2.35 per cent. ; upon /2,426,416, 3 per cent. ; upon £188,087, 3.28 per cent. ; and upon £563,199, 4.68 per cent, The amount of preference stock outstanding, January 31,1864, was something tremendous, as the following recapitulation shows: ---£10,050 at 3 per cent ; £1,715,424 at 31 per cent.; £3,460,384 at 4 per cent. ; £1,321,950 at 41 per cent. ; £4,269,963 at 41 per cent.; £36,000 at 4-1. per cent. ; £2,315,765 at 5 per cent. ; £219,055 at 51 per cent.; £1,846,482 at 6 per cent.; and £175,000 at 8 per cent,—in all, £15,470,093. The total capital raised by stock of all kinds at the close of January, 1864, was £30,286,951, the company having created or assumed £B,OOO of 4 per cent. and £1,480,034 of 41 per cent. debenture stock. The debenture debt outstanding January 31, 1864, was £10,379,160 (rather more than the London and North Western, which, in fact, so far as its undertaking proper is concerned, finds itself distanced by the Great Western iu matter of capital) the bulk of which was floating at rather more than 4 per cent., 11,500 bearing interest at 31 per cent., £598,900 at 4 per cent., £5,337,703 at 41 per cent. £3,891,645 at 41 per cent. £136,640 at 41 per cent., and £482,772 at 5 per cent. The company's credit would appear, comparing this year with 1861, to have somewhat improved, the amount of debentures outstanding at 41 per cent. having increased, while the extent of the 41 per cent. debt has been reduced. Thus, the Position of the debenture debt at the close of 1861 was as annexed :—.1:217,207 at 31 per cent., £3,800 at 3 per cent., 1,1,525,898 at 4 per cent., £2,366,257 at 4 per cent., £5,128,700 at 4A- per cent., £352,107 at 4 per cent., and 11,644,964 at 5 per cent. These figures, it should be observed, re present the debenture debt of the three companies— Great Western, West Midland, and South Wales combined ; and they afford snottier proof that what iney now in general terms be styled the Great Western has for several years past been paying a liberal rate of interest upon its debenture capital. The company is struggling gallantly to overcome the difficulties of its position, although its financial history nay be said to have been for some years a race between the growth of revenue and the growth of fixed charges. 02 the whole, the position of the ordinary shareholders may be said to be improving, the policy now announced by the directors being one of peace:and tranquillity. Aa jthe growth of fixed charges is thus likely to be checked for a few years the dividends on the company's multitudinous ordinary stocks may be expected to expand to some extent. We have said that the company is strugg ling gallantly to overcome its difficulties, and we may add that in the 13 months ending January 31, 1864, 240,609 passenger and 89,817 goods trains were run, the former accomplishing a distance of 6,573,261 miles, and the latter of 5,467,527 miles, making an aggregate of 12,040,788 miles (against 10,593,480 miles in 1863). The number of tickets issued was 17,291,221 (against 12,954,951 in 1862). The im mense circulation of passengers in the 13 months ending January, 1864, was made up thus :-; First-class, 3,112,888 passengers, yi e lding 1429,567 second class, 6,058,575, yielding £662,222; and third class, 8,119,758, yielding £475,557. It is per haps worthy of remark that the Great Western has a larger first-class traffic than the London and North-Western, lent that the amount derived by it from this category of voyageurs is less. A sum of £19,164 was also derived by the Great Western in the period under notice from 1,975 season ticket holders, making the total passenger receipts of the 13 months £1,586,510. The accessory receipts of the quick trains from parcels, carriages, horses, dogs, &c., amounted in the 13 months to £156,617, and 156,335 was derived from the conveyance of,mails, making the total quick train receipts of the 13 months /1,799,462, against £1,677,945 in 1862. The number of beasts conveyed over the system in the 13 months was 166,190 ; sheep, 516,565; pigs 155,265. The quantity of coal and coke transported was 3,009,223 tons; pf minerals, 1,851,065 tons; and of general merchandise, 2,360,374 tons. This very considerable movement on the part of the slow train service produced a receipt of £1,666,196 against 11,419,296 in 1862, The goods traffic, as in the case of the London and North-Western, thus appears to have profited considerably last year from the revival of trade. The ratio of the working charges to the traffic receipts was, as we have before shown, about 48 per cent. ; and the total of 11,672,166 expended under this head in the 13 months may be dis tributed as follows :-Maintenance and renewal of way, 1350,277 ; locomotive power, 1421,067 ; repairs and renewals of carriages and waggons' £164,879; traffic charges, coaching and merchandise, £537,639; rates and taxe5,150,376; Government duty 157,579; compensation for personal injury, £2,176; compensation for damage and loss of goods, 111,138; legal and Parliamentary expenses, £16,904 ; and miscellaneous outgoings, £60,131. It is creditable to the management of the Great Western that in the 13 months ending January, 1864, the amount paid to passengers for injuries sustained should have been only £2,176, while in 1862, with less mileage at work, the corresponding outlay was £4,832, The amount set down for legal and Parliamentary expenses is also extremely mo derate when compared with the corresponding heavy items in tie accounts of the London and North-Western fo; 1863. The rolling stock upon the system in January, 1864, comprised, we may add, 650 locomotives, 1,249 carriages used for the conveyance of passengers only, 719 other vehicles attached to passenger trains, 12,873 waggons of all kinds, used for the conveyance of live stock, mine rals, and general merchandise, and 1,164 other car riages or waggons, making an aggregate of 16,655. The additions made to the roiling stock in 1863 comprised 31 locomotives, 67 carriages used for the conveyance of passengers only, 33 other vehicles attached to passenger trains, and 617 other trucks, &c. The locoractive power of the Great Western appears to be relatively smaller than that of the London and North-Western. Thus the Great Wes• tern, with 1,199 miles in operation, or under its control, in January, 1864, had only 650 locomotives, while the London and North Western, with 1,209 miles, had 1,093 locomotives. In each case each locomotive woull seem to be earning for its owners about £llO per week in spring,summer,and autumn, and from 190 to 100 per week in the winter months. A few words must be said as to the position of the minor undertakings which have associ ated themselves with the Great Western either through teases or ' , corking arrangements. The Ab. ingdon had raised at the close of 1863 £19,500, but after providing for fixed charges nothing ap pears to have been paid upon 114,500 of ordinary stock; the Barks and Hants Extension had raised 1269,308, and after providing for fixed charges 1158,168 of ordinary stock received 11-, per cent. ; the Birkenhead (vetted jointly in the Greet Western and London and North-Western) had raised 12,672,919, and after providing for fixed charges £2,075,821 of ordinary stock received 3 per cent.; the Bourton-on-the- Water had raised £39,641, and after providing for fixed charges 129,647 of ordi nary stock received 1/ per cent. ; the Bridport had raised 1105,561, and after providing for fixed charges nothing appears to have been paid on the ordinary stock ; the Bristol and South Wales Union had raised 1289,339, but after providing for fixed charges there was nothing for the ordinary stock ; the Calne had raised £32,420, but after providing for fixed charges there was nothing for the ordinary shareholders; the :loleford, Monmouth, Usk, and Pontypool had raise' £192,479, and after providing for fixed charges £192,479 of ordinary stock re ceived 2'4 per cent. ; the East Somerset had rased £152,052, and after providing for fixed charges 167,933 of ordinary stock received nothing; the Ely Valley had raised £108,796, and after providing for fixed charges 182,996 of ordinary stock received 2a,- per cent.; the Leominster and Kington had raised £101,430, and after providing for fixed charges £59,010 of ordinary stock received 4 per cent ; no information can be afforded as to the Mil ford or the Much We*.:lock and Severn Junction ; the Nentwich and Market Drayton hid raised £54,822, and after providing for fixed charges 144,222 of ordinary stock received nil; the Severn Valley had raised £607,053, and after providing for fixed charges £360,373 received 3 par cent. ; the Shrewsbury and Hereford, on lease to the Great Western, West Midland, and London and North- Western jointly, had raised 1832,128, and after pro.' viding for fixed charges 1533,195 of ordinary stock received 6 per cent., and 16,753 41 per cent.; the Tenbury had raised £38,570, and after providing for fixed charges /24,370 of ordinary stock received 2 per cent. ; the Tewkesbury and Malvern had raised £323,580, and after providing for fixed charges there was nothing divisible on 1235,580 of ordinary stock; the Vale of Llangollen had raised £60,000, and, after providing for fixed charges £45,000 of ordinary stock received 3 per cent. ; the Welting ton and Severn Junction had raised £59,772 (fer a vender the whole of this amount was ordi nary stock, and it received 41 per cent.) ; the Wes- Londoe Extenaioe (in which the Great Western has en interest to some extent) had raised £622,500-- 14 87,E00 of ordinary stock appears to have received nothing ; the Witney had raised 166,000, and after providing for fixed charges £37,850 of ordinary stock received 21 per cant. ; and the Wycombe had raised £350,269, 160,875 of the ordinary stock re ceiving 31 per cent., and £56,392 receiving nil. In conepte as our recapitulation of the capital raised by the Great Western's allies necessarily is, it amounts to 14,937,310, and adding this amount to the ;.:40,666,111 of Great Western capital properly 80 celled we arrive at a total of £ 4 5,603,421 as the virttal capital of the general undertaking in Jan uary, 1864. Bat our figures are, as we have said, not euite complete, and we prefer to state the amount in mind figures, and place it between £46,000,000 and 1:47,000,000. If we continue our comparison of tee Great Western with the London and North Western, it will be seen that the Great Western, With a capital of 146, 1 :00,000, realised a profit of £1,159,673 last year; while the London end North Western, with £56,000,000 engaged, realised £ 2 ,166,849. The London and North Western could that divide a clear 5 per cent. all round ; while the Carat Western would only be able to squeeze out souewhere between 3 end 3:1 per cent. We hate pieced the two systems together, because in tines gone by they have been old rivals. Commit tee-roams at Westminster have resounded with their coltentions, and Parliamentary agents and bands tere have fattened upon their quarrels. Isolated ant vanquished in the struggle of broad gauge against narrow gauge, the Great Western now must cede the pas to its more prosperous and fortunate cotnemporery. Bar, for all that, it is a grand cons cern. The mere fact that it has 1,200 miles at work, that it has raised and expended a capital of 46 mil , lions, and that it has a revenue now exceeding three millions pur annum, cannot fail to excite wonder and admiration. It is to be hoped that the direc tors have now profited by experience ; that their policy has become one of conciliation and peace, and that in the prosperity of the future even ordinary shareholders may find acme recompense for the bit ter disappointments of the past.—limes. THE BELFAST MOTS. DUBLIN, Aug. 22. The adjourned inquest on the body of John M'Connell, who was shot by the police in Sandy-row on Tuesday, was held on Saturday at 10 o'clock, in the Corn Exchange. One half the jury were Protestants and the other half Roman Catholics, making them six to six. The result of the pro ceedings was sent yesterday, but the following is added as a specimen of the manner in which the investigation was conducted : Sub-Inspector Caulfield and the party of police who fired upon the people on the day in question were present during the inquest. Mr Alex. O'llorke, solicitor, and Mr John Seeds, solici tor, appeared for the police; and Mr John Coates, solicitor, acting for Mr James M‘Lean, solicitor, represented the next of kin of the deceased. John Williamson was examined, and stated—l live in No. 6, Sandy-row. My mother keeps a public-house there, and I manage it for her. I remember this occurrence on Tuesday. I was standing behind the bar when I heard a noise, and I ran to the door. The police were coming down the street, and appeared to be in pursuit of the mob, who were rushing down to the bridge. There were women and children in the mob. Previous to the firing no stones or firearms were used by the mob against the police. When the police commenced firing the first thing I saw was a man falling. The crowd then separated, and left him by him self. The man was John M'Connell. I had known him before. He was not taken up until after the police had done firing the second time. Several other witnesses deposed that the crowd did not conduct themselves so as to justify the use of firearms azainst them. Inspector James Duff, a local Dogberry, then gave the following evidence :—I was on duty on the morning when John M'Connell was killed. I was stationed opposite Durham-street. Three of the inspectors had 40 men in charge. I was there a little before 9 o'clock. I proceeded in company with two of the men to what is termed the Boyne-bridge. What drew my attention to it at first was about 12 .r 14 of the constabulary, who were stationed at the Durham street aide of the bridge being clodded by a mob off the street, and about half way down Glengall- street. At the time the police were ordered to load was there any provocation given to them, or were there any stones thrown ? —Stones were thrown at them when they were ordered to load. The mob went over the Boyne-bridge. There were a number of people throwing stones at the officer and police. There we s no magistrate present that lam aware of. I did not hear the Riot Act read. Were the police add their officers in any danger of losing their lives ?—Not that I saw, except from stones, Do you think it was necessary to have fired ? Mr O'Rorke objected. The Coroner said it did not much matter, as the jury would form their own opinion from the evidence, Mr Coates—From your experience, and being there at that time, do you believe, on your solemn oath as a public officer of the peace, that those men were in danger of their lives at the time they fired on the people ?—\\roat their opinion was I don't know; but had I been in charge of the police I should not have fired. Do you believe it was necessary for the preservation of their lives that they should fire ?—Well, as far as I could see I think that the number of police was able to drive away the crowd with fixed bayonets. Did the police caution them to go away ?—Not that I heard. Did you see guns, or pistols, or swords at the time with the mob F—l saw nothing but sticks and stones, Did you see the police struck ?—I do believe they were struck, for the stones came amongst them. I did not go to the top of the bridge, and cannot say how far the police were from the people when they fired. Do you say it was judicious to fire ?—I have seen more stones thrown without firing. Were they in danger ?—Well, a man's brains might be knocked out with a stone. Why didn't you bring your own force up when you saw the crowd pelting the police with stones ?—I selected two men—Moffett and Wiley. And you left the whole body of men standing at Christ Church ?—They were all there. And you saw this outrage being perpetrated on the con stabulnry, and you left your whole force and did not bring them to their relief ?—I did not. You went yourself did. I considered it was not ne cessary to take the the force up. Although you saw the constabulary pelted with stones ? —Yes. Tell the jury the reason you had for this. You have thunderstruck me. Have you any explanation to give ? I consider that two men going up to the same crowd was better than taking a whole body. Do you swear to the Court that you think two of the constabulary force would have been sufficient to quell the riot ?—I state on my oath that three of us did stop them. Do you swear upon your oath that two or three of the constabulary would have been capable of quelling that dis graceful riot ?--I do not think they could. But "two of us" could do it P—Three of us did do it. Three of the local police. Well, when it occurred to you that two or three of you could do it, would it not have been better to have brought the whole body P—lt would not. Ilave you brought any of the parties to justice that you saw clodding stones P—lf I had made an arrest I don't be lieve I would Lave been able to bring the party out of the mob. How long was this disgraceful clodding going on ?—lt was going on from the time I left Christ Church till I went to the bridge. How did the three put a stop-to it? Put me up to the secret of it.—lt was done by us. Did you say, " Brother, don't now ?"—lt was done. Vies that expression used ?—lt. was done. Coroner—l ant afraid we are wandering from the in quiry. - Mr O'ltorke—Were three shots fired'?--Nose that I heard. You heard the police fire ?—I did. And they were pelted at the time they were going up the bridge ?—Yes. And they were pelted by the other portion of :the mob that got into the railway ?—Yes. They were pelted from behind and before ?—Yes ; and after the police returned, and were coming down Durham street, a shot came after them. Several constables proved beyond any possibility of refu tation the ferocious character of the mob; that they were pelted with stones; shots were fired at them, by which some were slightly injured ; and that the men called upon their officer not to let them be murdered, They were unanimous in asserting that if the mob had been let to surround them their lives would have been sacrificed. The jury could not agree, and had to be discharged with. out finding a verdict, as already stated. NARROW ESCAPE.—On Friday evening, about 6 o'clock, the Rev. J. P. Langley, Mrs. Langley, Mrs Allen, and Miss Iliffe, of Olney, Buckinghamshire, were in a boat, rowing on the river Ouse. They had pro ceeded about a mile from Olney, where the river is narrow and shallow, so that it is very difficult to get past without lightening the load in the boat. The three ladies left the boat and walked along the river bank until they could again enter it. On getting into the 'Weston water, which is both wide and deep, Mrs. Langley was the first to get into the boat. She seated herself at the rudder. Mrs. Allen also got in and held out her hand to assist Miss Iliffe, when all three ladies wore thrown over into the river. Their crinolines fortunately assisted to buoy them up, bat Mr Langley was unable to aid them beyond so placing the boat as to get them as near the bank as he could, and two then held by the boat, and one by the bank, their feet partly resting on the shelving bank, Mr Thomas York, of Emberton, who was in his meadow, and Mr William France, of the Emberton turnpike gate, who was fiohing near, heard their cries for help, and hastened to their assistance, and, not without much difficulty, succeeded in rescuing them from their perilous position. They were thus most prcvidentially saved from being drowned, as they could not have remained much longer above water. THE STRIKE OF THE DOCK LABOURERS.—Since the strike of the Grand Surrey and Commercial Docks has commenced between 20 and 30 of the A Reserve, comprising a picked body of men, have been stationed upon the ground. Their conduct on all occasions has been so forbearing that we the more regret to record that on Satur day night Robert Stewart, 499 A, was so seriously injured in the neighbourhood of Grove-street by a body of dock labourers as to be entirely crippled for life, if he should sur vive the injuries he has received. It appears that a disturb ance took place and a fight was being concocted, when 499 A interfered for the purpose of preventing a breach of the peace. He was knocked down and trampled upon, and one man jumped violently upon him and rendered him in sensible. He was pronounced dead, nevertheless, one of the attacking parties kicked him violently in the side. Several of his brother constables came to the rescue, and he was conveyed to Guy's Hospital, and afterwards to his own house. Some of the delinquents mere taken into custody and conveyed to the police-station at Greenwich, but we learn, that the man chiefly to blame is still at large. In the meantime, numbers of the men on strike are going into work, and this morning between 200 and 300 will be en gaged at the Commercial Docks. In the Grand Surrey Docks the contractors are acting as sorters, and ordinary manual labour is employed to some extent. A perfect sur veillance is kept by the police over each dock entrance, and an extra body of police have been placed upon the spot since the outrage of Saturday night. Previous to this affair (which may not have been directly connected with the strike) the men have been very orderly. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—In India the position of the soldier has long been what it is now becoming at home. There the efficiency of the army and its readiness for the field are the first considerations, and such a disposi tion of the European forces is made as will insure their availability for service. Soldiers are stationed in such places and in such numbers as will give them a real military organisation, and a larger experience than can be gathered by being cooped up a few hundred together in some crowded town. But this bringing together of a large number of men has created evils and necessitated remedies of its own. Idleness and listlessness, with their inevitable tendency towards drink, reign wherever a great body of men is brought together, at one of the Indian stations, without much cccupation or any society except that of each other. The remedies recently adopted by the Commander-in-Chief are those which have been found efficient in similar cases all over the world. Experience has shown that there is no set of men, however uninstructed and fond of animal pleasures, who will not do some kindof work rather than pass their time in absolute inactivity. The prim saner works in his cell in sheer weariness of his own thoughts ; if he cannot find some useful em ployment he carves legends on the wall with a rusty nail or attends to the spinning of spiders or the gambollings of mice. Half of the amusements and pleasurable occupations of the man of leisure are work, and often laborious work, such as the peasant or mechanic would require good and steady wages for performing. Hence we cannot wonder that as soon as some regular occupation has been offered to the scores of able-bodied young men who had usually passed a large part of their days smoking in front of their barracks, the offer has been eagerly accepted, and most satisfactory results have followed. In that torrid Indian climate it might have been thought that the chief pleasure of the soldier, when he was free from drill, would be to lie at his length be. tween sleep and wake, or to indulge in common place talk with his companions. But even in India the Commander-ineChief is able to congratulate the men on the success of the regimental workshops. and the excellence of the gardens which they have laid out. He says that the Royal Artillery and other regiments have distinguished themselves by the excellence and neatness of their gardens. Seve ral of the military hospitals have good and prettily laid-out gardens. His Excellency particularly observed those of Pea hawur, Sea lkote, Meean-Meer, and Allehabad." It is found that where large sta tion gardens are established at a distance from the barracks the men do not care fur them, but that they take great pleasure in and cultivate very readily small gardens close by and attached to their barracks. The feeling of property and possession is aroused when each man has bis patch near his own quarters, and can cultivate its himelf for him.' self, receiving the produce and carrying- off any prizes which may be given for proficiency in the art. Evidently these improvements are of no small importance in India, where, as elsewhere, the health of the soldiers depends almost as much on their own moral condition as on the salubrity of the site or the season. But it cannot fail to occur to any one who interests himself in this subject that there are the same conditions and the same wants at home. Of late years the necessity of massing men together so as to accustom them to some of the habits of war, and to teach them what they could not learn in petty detachments, has been recognised by the Goa vernment. There is nothing that resembles the great Indian stations more than Aldershott, both in its moral requirements and the means by which they must be satisfied. Here are several thousand young men in the full strength of life, impatient of listlessness and inaction, ever endeavouring when off drill to kill time by any means that suggest themselves, and too often disposed to plunge into intemperance for the mere want of something to do. All this time the waste around them suggests a task. The dust of summer, the mud of winter, are both equally in keepiug with the desolation of the land scape. Certainly when the advisers of her Majesty pitched upon this wild tract as the training ground of the British army they were not under the influence of the love of the beauti ful. Nor, as it has turned out, had they much foresight as to the comfortable, for on one thing all mankind will agree,—that a less attractive and convenient abode than Aldershott in either of its two phases—the dusty or the muddy—could hardly be found. It may be that the place was ill chosen, but the thing is done, and all that remains is to make the best of it. Much money has been laid out on buildings, and the House of Commons is hardly likely to sanction any migration. But, as the army is fixed there for good or evil, can they not do es the soldiers of Meean-Meer have done, and " bring the barren soil into profitable cultivation ?" If an example be wanted coaxer home, it may be found at the camp of Chalons, where the' labour of the troops has been advantageously directed to that cultivation which may be made successful wherever a large body of men is brought together on a plain, however sterile and unpromising. When we con sider that for nearly ten years there have been on an average about 12,000 men and 1,000 horses at Al dershot, and that three out of four of the soldiers are from the agricultural classes, there seems hardly a limit to what might have been done. These thou sands of men, instead of passing in idleness, much of the time which is not spent in drill, might have made the whole camp ground a meadow. Instead of paying for the removal of the sewage and the refuse of the camp, they might have employed it on the sandy soil, and obtained by one process the best of disinfectants and the means of fertilising the waste they lived upon. We trust the lessons taught by these Indian stations will not be lost. No pains can be too great on the part of the Government and the commanding officers of the army to give soldiers such employment as may take away some of the greatest objections to a military lite. Since the Crimean war and the Indian mutiny we do not, in deed, hear those acousatione against the British army which were common a few years before among some politicians; but the old belief that the military life is unhealthy and immoral, as well as demoralising to those who are brought in contact with it, has still a strong bold on the popular mind. 'Whatever truth may be the basis of thie feeling is no doubt caused by the idleness in which the soldier has had to pass a great deal of his time. Idleness is, as we know, the root of all evil, and especially of those particular evils which are the bane of the soldier's life. Others it might produce indirectly, but to these it led immediately and with terrible rapidity. The reforms that have been already made have done much to diminish these, and there is reason to hope that nothing will tend towards this good object more than a st stem of healty outdoor work, at an occupation which is the oldest and the most natu ral to man, and the most conducive to keeping a sound mind in a sound body. DAILY SEWS.—Monster guns were to be expected in this age of strong sensations as naturally levia than giant balloons, and everything else huge and astounding that springs from the brains of great engineers and omnipotent contractors. 'For aims time past the reports of the tremendous powers of the gun which has been not inaptly named " Big Will" have been cheering the advocates of fortifica tions_ This gun has smashed no less than three targets by land and at sea, all as strong as the Warrior's sides ; though it is said that the gun has been treated with some partiality in being planted at a fixed mark, and at a range which made it next to impossible to miss. Its backers tell us with confidence, and some show of science, that the gun will do precisely the same at four times the range, and therefore we are to feel quite easy in our minds as to the passage of a fleet of swift ironclads between the forts that are planned to guard Portsmouth Dockyard. We are asked to believe that, as the greatest distance from a fart at which a ship could pass in this channel would be about 2,000 yards, and as the 600-pounder has hit and smashed a hole through a target once out of five times at 500 yards, therefore it would be certain to do the same at 2,0 V yards. We imagine that most people will agree in thinking this is rather a singular conclusion to come to from the facts ; and when we observe how the ex periment was conducted upon which an assumption so highly important is based, it Will be seen that the trial of the gun really afforded only a guess at what it might probably be able to do. When a weapon of such prodigious power is proposed,the evident course would be to try it at the utmost stretch, but this has never been done on any one occasion with this gun. It has been trea ted more like a dangerous scientific toy in a !ccture-room, loaded with half its proper charge, and fired at quarter the distance at which it is said to be se destructive. The explana tion of this curious method of testing a gun offered by the scientific artillerists is, that as the detruc • the effect of a shot on striking an iro n - c l a d s hip depends on its velocity, cud as this quality may be regulated by the charge, the same effect is to be obtained by low charges at short range as by high charges at long range. The theory is no doubt a most convenient one, because it av o ids any chance of bringing out weaknesses in the construction of the gun, and puts out of the question the quality of accuracy which, it must not he overlooked, is f ar more important and necessary in a monster gun , simply because it is more difficult to aim at long . range ; and bec ause th e gun wou ld find its snatch Di smeller ordn ance un l ess i t p . )sEess ed this power of striking its tremendous blow at a distance where other guns are uselees. Now, without entering into . 8 the objecti ons t o t hi s t h eory, w hi c h we should . say 1 held by eq ua lly ecienfallacious, we artillerists to he fallacous, we have merely to point out the simple way of putting an end to all doubt upon the matter by ' firing the great gun at its extremeofpower. of a Su , r t e i l l. Surety we have h a d enoug h o f a dopting a system lery without proper trial in the instance of the 110. pounder breech loaders, two thousand of whioiltare condemned to be converted, if that be possible, into some sort ot available gun for the service. Yet here we find the War Department ordering these mon ster guns, and again adopting an untried system, involving endless and indefinite expenditure in the , working. The practice-ground and school of gun. , nery established at Shoeburyness, on a scale of such magnitude and expense to the country, must be put to very little use if they do not ensure a conapleto and exhaustive ordeal for every kind of gun pro posed for the service. It is not to be a grand field for displaying the triumphs of ingenuity in artil lery, for showing that enormous guns can be made upon the coiled-iron principle nearly as large as the American monsters of cast-iron, or for performing those absurd iron target experiments which the Admiralty always contrives to make when the ship they refer to cannot possibly be altered or e ven modified according to the result. Indeed, it re' quires no great penetration to see that the War Department does not exercise that control over the experiments carried on at Shoeburyness, antler the auspices of the Ordnance Select Comm ittee, which should be maintained. The Minister of Wary in obedience to Parliament, appoints a *eel"he t Committee, to examine and report upon Armstrong and Whitworth guns ; and the questions involved in this inquiry are certainly of no less importance than the total reconstruction of the artillery of the army and navy. The committee are of unquestioned com petence, they have accomplished the greater part of their task , and there is every reason to expect re' suits of . an importance equal to the contemplated expenditure of some £50,000 or more; but before the report of this committee can be known. on a n y' , part of the inquiry, and before the completion i the investigation , the Ordnance Select Committee pursue a course of their own, having no reference whatever to that laid down for the Special Commit' tee. Take, for example, the trial of the 70 pounde r proposed as suitable for broadside guns against iron plates. While the Special Committee test these guns at every range up to 800 yards, to ascertailail their power, with shot and shell, using the ftl‘ charges, the Ordnance Select Committee are Pe."„ forming, according to their particular theories, guns ot large calibre, fired with half charges, at the short range of 200 yards. How both these methods of experimenting can be right we are at a I ° s° t° understand, and yet the War Department is flea's; sarily, under the advice of the Ordnance S el „ Committee, bound to act upon the results W hich that body obtains. The 600 pounder is tried 1 , 11 ,, every way but the right one, and orders gi ve° . `; make the gun, but not at Woolwich, as it requtre_ special mactlinery. The heavy smooth bores , in ,_ v same way, after having passed the sham trial, orA adopted ; and the shunt rifling plan is also ado p te d as the only means of converting the now old bree": loaders of the service. All this time the War D e n partnant are awaiting the deeision of thei r oW committee, not only as to which of the two opciost`e systems of artillery is the best :or the service, 000 of which is the shunt plan already decided upon a.s largely for these converted guns, but which gigle the strangest and cheapest in construction. ‘'. the whole subj&ct is still anything but clear, eit _ as to the systems of rifling, the projectile , or the construction of the gun—while, iu addition to at Armstrong and Whitworth systems, we know .tl, there are Mr Lancaster, Capt. Scott, Col. Bit ulte ir and Mr Mackay all claiming superiority f or the rt. guns, and Capt. Palliser showing the War DeP u ns a ment how to convert old condemned cast-iron g ata erY into good serviceable rifled ordnance " I with trifling cost—we say that it would be far tteratilo i commit the condemned breech loaders t han decent regret to the Campo Santo of Wool wich to arm the Navy with patched up failuree• COUNTRY MARKETS. LEEDS—TUESDAY. here was a moderate show of fresh a t this we ek ' T A few samples of new wheat offering for which rilil ler l e ra . compelled to give fully last Tuesday's prices, bu t the mand for old is very small. Oats and beans quite as dear. Averages—Aug. 22—Wheat 44s 2id per qr. —Oats - —Beans 46s Od -- - —Peas ..343 6 4 —Barley 31s 0,0 .-- MONMOUTH—TUESDAY. The local markets have been poorly atten d e d by IT ia til d buyers and sellers during the last six or seven da” , 5. business has been limited, at about former rate s. The ra quofollows : IA n ge eat, white 5s 3d to 5s 9d I 8ar1ey...... 3s 2d to „ 9 1 Ditto red.....0s Od to Os Od Oats .. ..... 2 s Od to 23 MELTON MOWBRAY—TnEsDA.T. The following were the currencies :—New white wheat, 42s Od to 46s Od ; new: red, 38s Od to 44s per 36 stone; beans, 38s to 42s for old ; new sorts, 35 s to 37 s p er 36 st et ; barley, —s to —is for malting, and 273 to 29 s per qr. for grinding; new oats, 20s to 25s Od per 24 stone; old, 2 44 to 295. LIVERP OL—T uEsp.hor. There was a fair attendance of both town and country dealers at market to-day, and a rather better business done in English wheat at a trifle over the prices of lagz Friday. Prices for flour may be quoted nominally 11 , ' 3 ,, altered, with rather more inquiry. Oats and oatmeal al made the prices of last week, but trade is very slow. Br a ley dull, but beans and puts the turn dearer. Indian cor in limited demand. SHEFFIELD—TLIESDAr . --- The attendance was smaller than usual to -day, and tho trade was (lull, except as regards new wheats, which in demand. For old wheats we make no alteration in late prices, but new advanced 4d per load. Old oats and beat° wade rather more money, though not quotably higil".' Flour and other articles supported late rates. - Oi lied wheat, loci* load of 3 imperial bushels 16s Od to 17s , White 175 6d to 19s Ou » ) lss Od to 18s Od New red New white ' . 17s 6d to 19s 6 ,1 If If -• :14s 6el to 158 6 4 Beans II If 40s Od to 44s Oct Peas, per qr 2 30 .4 Grinding barley, per qr .............. , 28s Od to 3 _ . od Od t 30 ° 2s o Malting ditto, - ), ..... . ...... , , , 0 0 , 3 0 Wad Oats - i , , Flour, is 6d to ls 10d per 14 lb. ____..----, Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. ..sraAll and Cape Verds, by s Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton.:..... Aug 1 ~al3lNrlitariesheipll:ke.t.. ............ Sept.sept: 4}. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Aug. 2 9 ' China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southarupton.Aug.lS• Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton ......... . ...... Aug. 1 8 ' vi . a . Mara ...... .. 1 .. e.5........Aug. 4° India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southalipton..Aug. IS' via Marseilles ....Aug, "27. Endia (Bombay), via Southampton ............A ug.o 25 via Marseilles ................ Ag 20. Portugal.... .... , ........................... Sept. 4. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton ...... Aug. 1. via Marseilles ........ Aug. 18. Newfoundland .... .. 3l• Oporto and Vigo .............. . ......... U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet... ug. 25. by U.S. packet.... _— by Canadian packet. Aug. 26. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, 1 Aug. 29. ni California. and British Coltunbia. ----- THE TRAFFIC OVER WESTMINSTER BRIDGE:" Yesterday, by command of the Hon. IV. Cowper, bi.P•r t he Chief Commissioner of Public Works, the preparations com menced to eomplete the approaches en the Middlesex Bi° to New IVestminster-bridge, and the last portion perthe houses required for that purpose in Bridge • street, ie" ment-street, and New Palace-yard, including Hotel, will forthwith be pulled down. The chief col:awls; sioner of police, acting under the provisions of the neW ac t for the regulation of the metropolitan traffic, ding th ! the passage of heavy laden vehicles along the tramways the trailie, the centre of New Westminster-bridgo impedes has placed police constables at either end to regulate the passage of vehicles, and heavy laden vehicles aro no/ compelled to cross the bridge at the aides not the foot ways, the centre of the bridge being reserved for light car riages and equestrians. Fendals Births. BURGES —On the 21st inst , at 06, Lower Baggot-strecti the Hon. Mrs. Ynyr Barges, of a daughter. PE . T f RYDER.—On the 22d inst., at 7, Itaßs.o—n.On the 21st inst., at,Thorndon, the Lady Fetre, Cornwall -gardens, South Kensington, the Hon. Mrs. ltyder, of a son. CABLE m a rriages. _wHiTwELL,On the 20th inst., at Camberwell- CABLE Chapel, John Cable, merchant. London, to Margaret Toesie, the eldest daughter of the late Watsou ELLIOT —FILY.--On the 20th inst., at the parish church, Brig titou, Mr. Joseph John Elliot, of Baker-street, Ff; inan..6quaro, London, to Lucy Elizabeth, only of Edmund Fry, Esq., Brighton. Deaths. Bohn. —On the 21st inst., Thomas Bond, of Thorntan-iiv craven, aged 76. BROWN.—On the 22d inst., at Dallington , NortharaPtgi' William Brown, Esq. ASKELT...—On the 21st inst, at his house, Esq Highgate, Middlesex, John"Dakin Gaskell, rister. Holly-bus h Bethnal-green, LATREILLE.—On the 22d inst., at Holly- Bethnal-green, Ulysses Latreille, aged Si. MuitToN.—On the 226 inst,, at East Stour, Ashford, NAO., Walter Murton, Esq., agd 64. Up per PARKER.—On the 234 inst., at Brunswick Cottage) Sydenham, Mr. Nicholas Parker, aged 75. PALMER.—On the 21st inst., HenryT North lint!: Esq., Mayor of Woodstock. Tilley PallnDr, London PraiZed and Prliiished by . • WILI.L A. e s t i_ No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TriE SUN 122 Once Cc o, ,12. , 0 1 the Precinct of the 3avoy. ;liLity iciaLQ6‘sx.—Wcanciday, 111 1 ,7t 5t 16" .1. AND E WS, THE LOINDO.N, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24, 1864.